BY ROHAN PEARCE
The outrages committed by Israel, not just in recent months, but since its creation in 1948, would not have been possible without the aid and protection of the United States.
Although some in the Israeli government have expressed fears that a United Nations commission of inquiry into the levelling of the Jenin refugee camp could result from the disbanding of the UN "fact-finding" team, Israel's UN ambassador, Yehuda Lancry, is sure this is unlikely.
"We trust in the United States and its commitments vis-a-vis Israel to oppose such an initiative", he told Israeli army radio on May 1.
The US Republican party is seeking to capitalise on President George Bush's support for Israel's war on the Palestinians to win Jewish voters, many of whom have traditionally backed the Democrats. In 2000, Bush received only 19% of Jewish votes.
On May 1, Dick Armey, leader of the Republicans in the House of Representatives, endorsed the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Armey told the MSNBC's Hardball program: "Most of the people who now populate Israel were transported from all over the world to that land and they made it their home. The Palestinians can do the same, and we're perfectly content to work with the Palestinians in doing that. We are not willing to sacrifice Israel for the notion of a Palestinian homeland."
When asked for clarification by the presenter, Armey said, "I happened to believe that the Palestinians should leave", and later on: "I am content to have Israel occupy that land that it now occupies and to have those people who have been aggressors against Israel retired to some other area... I would be happy to have all these Arab nations that have been so hell bent to drive Israel out of the Middle East to get together, find some land and make a home for the Palestinians."
Finally the presenter asked: "Well, just to repeat, you believe that the Palestinians who are now living on the West Bank should get out of there?" Armey replied, "yes".
On May 2, a resolution "Expressing Solidarity With Israel in its Fight Against Terrorism" was passed 352 votes to 21 by the House of Representatives. The resolution claims that, "Israel's military operations are an effort to defend itself against the unspeakable horrors of ongoing terrorism and are aimed only at dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas, an obligation Arafat himself undertook but failed to carry out". There is no criticism of the Israeli army or government in the resolution.
From Green Left Weekly, May 8, 2002.
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